1 1/2 cup wheat flour 1 cup fine semolina (soji) 2 tbsp. oil 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder 1 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds salt to taste oil to deep fry

Warm some water. Mix the flour and other ingredients together. Make fairly stiff dough with warmed water. Divide in 25 portions and roll puris of 3" diameter. Deepfry in hot oil till both sides are slightly pinkish. Drain on kitchen paper, cool well before packin in foil. Serve with vegetable or pickles. Variations: Use finely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves if desired. If semolina is not available, use rice flour or plain flour instead. Add red chilli powder if spicy puris are desired.

Sieve flours together. Wash and chop greens finely. Mix all ingredients except oil to shallow fry. Knead into a soft pliable dough using as much water as required. Divide the dough into 10-12 parts and knead into rounds. Roll into a chappati, about 6" in diameter with the help of some flour. Shallowfry on a hot griddle applying some oil on both sides till done. Repeat for all. Cool to room temperature. Pack in foil or store in a tight-lidded container. Eat with sweet or hot mango pickle or curds.

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add peanuts, dals and allow to fry for a few seconds. Add whole chillies, bayleaves, curry leaves, seeds and fry a few more seconds. Add tamarind extract, jaggery, all masalas and rice. Stir gently, to mix well. Add water, cover and cook till rice is done. Sprinkle some more water on top as required till the rice is cooked. Do not overcook the rice. Each grain should separate. Cool in a wide plate. Pack in foil or container after cooling completely.

Remove husk of peanuts and crush slightly. Use the oil to grease the knives or spatulas, worksurface and rolling pin. Keep some aside to grease palms. Put sugar in pan and heat, stirring continuously, till fully melted. Brown lightly, but do not allow to burn. Remove from fire. Add peanuts, cardamom and mix well. Pour onto worksurface and knead with both knives. When slightly cool knead with greased palms. Roll with pin shaping into a square, 1/2" thick. Mark out into 1" square pieces. Break after fully set and cooled. Store in airtight container putting sheets of butterpaper between each layer. Note: Take care while handling the hot sugar, or you may scald yourself. Variation: You may use dry fruit like almonds, pista, cashew instead of peanuts. You may crush the nuts finer if you like, then use 1 1/4 cup instead of one, to one cup of sugar.

Wash, wipe and remove the tops and tips of okra. Make a lengthwise incision in each. Keep aside. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Stuff each okra with this masala, in the slit. Tie up each with a bit of string. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Fry few at a time, till crisp. Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Remove strings and cool to room temperature. Pack in a foil or leakproof container. Eat with parathas or puris.

Deep fry the cornflakes in hot oil till crisp but not brown. Drain and place in wide plate. Repeat for all flakes. Next fry the peanuts, curry leaves, cashew, raisins, green chillies one at a time. Drain all well. Add to the fried flakes. Sprinkle all the other ingredients over the flakes. Mix well till masala is evenly coated, with hands. Store in airtight container.

Wash and dice the capsicum into medium sized pieces. Do not deseed. Heat oil in a pan. Add seeds and asafoetida, allow to splutter. Add capsicum and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, except gramflour and amchur. Stir for another minute or two. Add gramflour and amchur. Stir fry continuously for 2-3 minutes or it may burn. Cool well before packing in foil or container. Serve with puris or parathas packed along.

Cool rice in a wide pan. In a small pan heat oil, add cashews, dals and stir fry for 2-3 seconds. Add seeds and allow to splutter. Add green chillies, curryleaves and pour onto the rice. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Pack in leakproof container. Serve with chilli pickle. Keep in as cool a place as possible, so that curd does not sour. Note: If required after 8-10 hours reduce the quantity of curd and add more milk. If it feels dry while eating, add some water and mix well. If required soon after making (1-2 hours) then add more curd and less milk.

Chopp finely the methi (fenugreek) leaves Warm some water. Mix the flour and other ingredients together (incl methi leaves). Make fairly stiff dough with warmed water. Divide in 25 portions and roll puris of 3" diameter. Deep fry in hot oil till both sides are slightly pinkish. Drain on kitchen paper, cool well before packin in foil. Serve with vegetable or pickles. Variations: If semolina is not available, use rice flour or plain flour instead. Add red chilli powder if spicy puris are desired.